In news that should have tails wagging for landlords and insurance providers throughout the Commonwealth, the statehouse passed a revision to the law that confers liability on dog owners by largely exempting landlords from liability. This modification is a response to a 2012 Kentucky Supreme Court case that conferred potential strict liability on landlords for dog bites. Since that decision five years ago, landlord groups, insurance companies, and chambers of commerce have been working to pass a law to clarify that liability is the responsibility of the dog owner. Earlier this year, Rep. Stan Lee of Lexington led the charge to make the change in law, which is expected to result in lower insurance premiums and less court appearances for landlords across the state. More >

To effectively limit and guide human behavior, the law needs (at least) discoverability, predictability and, above all, consistency. To be just, a cause of action and its elements should be defined and applied in the same way for similarly-situated individuals. That makes it especially problematic that there are so many conflicting rules and interpretations for “malicious prosecution” at both the state and federal levels. More >